Skittle's Delight (Air Kong Fetch Stick)

Member Name: skittle

Product:	Air Kong Fetch Stick
Date:	14/11/07 (51 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Can be thrown further than a normal toy...

Disadvantages: Until your dog chews the rope off

Skittle is a Border Collie with an obsession. That obsession is toys. When Skit’s about, no toy is safe, especially not the air Kong fetch stick, let me tell you why.

The Air Kong Fetch Stick first appeared in my local pet store a few years ago, around about the same time as I realised that said pet shop allowed you to take your dog along with you to shop. Skitson and I (she’s a dog of many names, not all of them printable) rather got into the habit of jumping into the car and popping along to the pet store together every other week or so, because at the time I was attempting to feed my dogs on Burns dog food, and this was the only place nearby that I could get it. Still, that’s another opinion, one I’ve still got to get around to writing.

Unfortunately, for me anyway, there was absolutely no way that Skittler was leaving that shop without a new toy, and yes, I do mean every single time we visited. It has been said that I spoil my dogs, that’s utter nonsense, they just have me well trained. This particular week Skitty-La had chosen herself a rather natty looking red fabric type toy, I think it was supposed to be some kind of monster, but I couldn’t tell you what. However, this was instantly forgotten the moment she set nose on an Air Kong Fetch Stick that’d fallen down from the display above into the basket that’s placed very conveniently at nose level for the average dog.

Larkin (yup, still one of Skittle’s ‘other’ names) decided once and for all that this was the toy for her (for this week anyway) and no amount of persuasion otherwise would make her change her mind. Personally I put this down to the tennis ball material that they’re made from – I’ve never met a dog yet that doesn’t like it, and Skitty is no exception. Even though this one was still in it’s cardboard packaging she’d made her furry little mind up, and she would brook no argument. On checking the price I was rather shocked, Skittley had chosen the medium sized Air Kong Fetch Stick, which retails at a rather astonishing (for a tightwad like me) £3.99. The toy is available in two other sizes, small at £2.99 and large at £4.99, lucky for me it wasn’t the large one that’d fallen off the display.

Batears then went on to choose the biscuits she wanted that week, before attempting to bite the head from a gorgeous little Staffy puppy on the way to the tills, she’s nice like that. Back at home, I was given fair warning that if new toy wasn’t forthcoming from carrier bag pretty darn smartish there’d be hell to pay – and they say dogs can’t talk… So, never one to argue with a superior canine, I removed the Air Kong Fetch Stick from it’s cardboard packaging and had a quick look before Ratdog snatched it away. The stick itself is basically just a tennis ball, but in a sausage shape. Tennis balls have long been favourites of both of my dogs anyway, so instantly appealed. The beauty of this toy, though, is that this tennis sausage is on a reasonably long, lightweight rope, which makes it perfect for throwing long distances and giving your dog some really good exercise.

We went outside to try out the new toy, and unfortunately as I throw like the girl I am, I promptly lobbed the Air Kong Fetch Stick into next doors garden. Dougal was not amused (nope, I have no idea why we call her Dougal, she just likes it) and sent me around to the neighbours to get her toy back immediately. This time I managed to throw the toy in a vaguely straight direction, and found that the rope really does allow you to throw it much further than your ordinary toy, I was having to be careful not to throw it too far and have to pester the neighbours again.

A day or two afterwards the dogs and I decided to take my husband on an outing to the nearby common. As 'new' toy, the Air Kong still had ‘favourite’ status, so was quickly selected by Skit (the rest of her names are just too bizarre to carry on any further) to come along for a little light entertainment. Once out walking I found that the toy is much easier to carry than most other toys as you can hold it by the end of the rope. I actually found that Skitson liked to hold the stick end in her mouth, too, which had the added bonus of preventing her from barking at any of the many evil, dangerous boy scouts, carrier bags, cuddly bunnies and cyclists that we were bound to pass. This came in ever more handy later on when the toy had been well played with and was covered in mud, drool and all kinds of other things that I don’t even want to contemplate, as I could just hold the rope at the end and didn’t have to hold the slobbery bit.

As I’d discovered earlier in the back garden, that rope really does make it much easier to throw the Fetch Stick further. It quickly became apparent, though, that the rope was a bit of a menace when Skit was bringing the stick back. The rope would bounce about on the end of the toy, slapping her in the face and often tripping her up, however, Skit cleverly solved this problem herself a few days later by chewing the rope in half. One plus point for this toy is that the blue and white rope is easy to spot in long grass, the yellow tennis ball stick, however, really isn’t. We very nearly lost the Air Kong Fetch Stick on our first outing when the dogs couldn’t find it in the long grass, it took me a while too, even though I was standing almost on top of it.

The Air Kong Fetch Stick floats, so it’s perfect for dogs who like to play in the water. Luckily, mine aren’t water babies, but the toy has come in handy in the past for keeping them happy when they’ve gotten restless in the bath. It does also mean that it’s very easy to get the toy clean when we get home from a run, I can just run it under the tap and it cleans up really well.

So would I recommend the Air Kong Fetch Stick? To be absolutely frank, despite the fact that Skittykins still loves it now that it’s practically bald and without a rope, I prefer those long plastic sticks that allow you to throw an ordinary tennis ball for miles. I have never found it possible to throw the Air Kong as far as I can with the plastic thing and tennis ball contraption, and with the tennis ball there’s no danger of Skitson causing herself an injury as she brings it back. Replacing the odd tennis ball is much more cost effective than replacing a £3.99 Fetch Stick every time Skitty chews the rope off it too.

So no, I’m afraid that for me the Air Kong Fetch Stick, though a decent toy, is not a toy that I would buy again. The plastic tennis ball thrower is much better suited for us as a family. I’m not 100% certain Skit would agree though, she REALLY enjoyed chewing that nasty rope.

Summary: A useful toy for some, but not for me and Skittler